So. Maine legislators eye foreclosure protection, ban of plastic bags

Wednesday

Feb 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM

YORK COUNTY — Local legislators have filed a range of bills from sweeping measures such as tightening mortgage fraud, banning plastic bags and changing voting laws, to other constituent requests such as exempting seniors from jury duty and lowering the age for senior lobster licenses.

Deborah McDermott

YORK COUNTY — Local legislators have filed a range of bills from sweeping measures such as tightening mortgage fraud, banning plastic bags and changing voting laws, to other constituent requests such as exempting seniors from jury duty and lowering the age for senior lobster licenses.

Regardless of whether any or all of the bills ultimately receive bipartisan support, these local House of Representative members agree their colleagues on both sides of the aisle are congenial and cordial — at least so far.

Seacoast Media Group caught up with four House members — two veterans and two newcomers — who represent southern York County towns for a snapshot view of their tenure a month after the Legislature began its session.

Rep. Windol Weaver

Weaver, R-York, is the lone Republican lawmaker from southern York County serving in the House. He was elected to his fourth and final term last November.

"It just shows it can turn on a dime at any time," he said of the November elections, which swept Republicans out of power in the House and Senate.

Weaver has filed few bills, because, he said, "the less bills there are, the better off we are, in my opinion."

He's filed a couple of bills that will come before the Marine Resources Committee, on which he sits as lead Republican. Weaver was chairman of the committee in the last session.

One bill that has his attention would create a $3 million campaign to market lobsters nationwide and around the world. There has been a glut of lobsters in recent years, which has driven prices down. The campaign would be paid for with a slight increase to lobster licenses.

He also filed a constituent bill to allow people age 70 or older to opt out of jury duty if they want.

He said he's hopeful work between the parties in the House will be congenial.

"Mark (Eves, Democratic Speaker of the House, of North Berwick) is a fine guy, and he's going to be a good leader. He's very reasonable," Weaver said.

Rep. Paul McGowan

McGowan, a Democrat whose district covers Ogunquit and parts of Wells, York and Kittery, has filed five bills, several of which have to do with his concern about climate issues. A recent trip to Hawaii was the impetus for him to file a bill to ban plastic bags.

He said they are banned in the Aloha State, and while there he talked to a range of businesses.

"There was resistance at first, but now it's just a part of doing business," said the first-term legislator.

Another bill would require the state to develop a 10-year plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel use as well as increase energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2020.

He's also introduced a bill to form a commission to study why Maine has one of the highest cancer rates in the country.

"We do, but nobody knows about it," he said. "How do you respond to a reality if you don't know it's a reality?"

He also plans to file a legislative resolve, which he agrees is problematic, that would require Maine companies to annually publish the salaries of the highest and lowest paid employee. He said he's trying to find a mechanism to expose what he sees as inequities between managers and workers.

While McGowan said the governor's message "seems to be, 'it's my way or the highway,' personally I'm very encouraged by the new legislators. By and large, they're a good group of people."

Rep. Roberta Beavers

Beavers, D-South Berwick, is in her second term. She is again fighting for passage of a mortgage foreclosure bill vetoed last session by Gov. Paul LePage.

"This bill is very important to me, and it even has support from people who support the governor," she said.

The bill requires that the original mortgage note be produced during foreclosure proceedings or the homeowner could ask the court to dismiss the case. The bill last session had the support of credit unions but not of the Maine Bankers Association. A companion bill she submitted this session would make foreclosure fraud a criminal act.

Beavers, a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, also has introduced a number of committee bills. The one she is most interested in would authorize a $55 million bond to weatherize homes and provide training for workers in green industries. She's not sure how the bill will fare, "but if you don't ask, you won't get anything."

She said her committee, although with many new members, is composed of hard-working, collegial people in both parties. But she makes no bones about her concerns with LePage.

"It's not that all of his ideas are bad, but he destroys any credibility as governor by his M.O. (modus operandi)," she said. "He keeps saying he doesn't want to be an ideologue and then he continues to be just that."

Rep. Deane Rykerson

Rykerson, D-Kittery, has filed a bill that would allow Mainers to purchase a "renewable energy" license plate for $20, just as they can purchase other specialty plates. The idea of Stephen Kosacz of Autoworks in Kittery, the bill would raise money to "foster innovative ideas for renewable energy" in the state, said Rykerson, a first-term legislator.

Voter reform is another concern of his. Rykerson said one of his bills would allow all registered voters to vote in primaries, including independents. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party, would go on to the general election. While the Kittery Democrat concedes this is a tough sell, he said a bill he's co-sponsored that allows ranked voting of candidates in the general election may stand a chance.

He's co-sponsored a resolution in favor of Congress instituting a constitutional amendment that would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling that has allowed the creation of so-called "super" political action committees.

And he's introduced a bill that would suspend the sales tax during the month of January. He calls the sales tax "regressive," and said if it was removed for just a month, Mainers could plan to make big purchases. He admits, however, that in this austere time, "it doesn't have a lot of support."

Rykerson and several others have formed a new member caucus in the House, which has just started meeting.

He's also joined the "common ground caucus."

One of his first efforts was to get Republicans and Democrats to mix it up on the House floor, an effort that "didn't get a lot of response" from House leadership. "But I might try it again," he said.

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